Julia Irynevych
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1755-5240
Ivan Gaiduk
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3144-1469
Tetiana Bochkareva
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6520-5931
Anna Kolomiiets
https://orcid.org/ 0009-0005-0098-2440
ORGANISATIONAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF PROVIDING MEALS IN GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN UKRAINE
Full text (pdf)
Language: Ukrainian
Abstract. The purpose of the article is to analyse the organisational and legal foundations for ensuring the provision of meals in general secondary education institutions (GSEIs) in Ukraine, taking into account current regulatory requirements and practical mechanisms for their implementation. The authors examine the organisation of balanced and high-quality nutrition for children in Ukrainian GSEIs, which is an integral part of safeguarding the child’s right to health care, education and social protection. School meals are considered not only as an element of pupils’ daily life but also as a strategic factor in preserving national potential in the context of an emergency – the ongoing full-scale war. Regulatory and legal documents governing the organisation of school catering are analysed. The article highlights a multi-level financing system, including state and local budgets, educational subventions, international humanitarian assistance and charitable initiatives. The challenges arising from the war are systematised, such as the destruction of canteens, population displacement, staff shortages, logistical difficulties and uneven provision across regions. Various organisational models – traditional in-school cooking, catering, outsourcing, base and hub kitchens – are reviewed as examples of the adaptation of the school meals system to new conditions. Analysis of data for the 2023/2024 academic year demonstrates both positive dynamics in the coverage of children from eligible categories with hot meals in most Ukrainian regions and concerning declines in some areas. The article concludes that it is necessary to standardise reporting, improve quality control of school meals and strengthen the role of local communities in this process. Thus, ensuring access to quality school meals in wartime is not only an element of humanitarian policy but also an essential condition for social cohesion, educational stability and the preservation of children’s physical and psychological health.
Keywords: state education policy, school nutrition, general secondary education institutions, war, internally displaced persons, international assistance, funding, sanitary standards.
https://doi.org/10.32987/2617-8532-2025-3-54-70
Keywords: state education policy, school nutrition, general secondary education institutions, war, internally displaced persons, international assistance, funding, sanitary standards.
https://doi.org/10.32987/2617-8532-2025-3-54-70
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5. Filianina, L., & Labenska, L. (2024). The right to healthy school meals: regulatory and legal regulation, international and national experience. In Public health system in Ukraine and EU countries: realities, transformation, development vectors, perspectives, 672-694. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30525/978-9934-26-497-9-32 [in Ukrainian].
6. Cohen, J., Hecht, A., Hager, E., Turner, L., Burkholder, K., & Schwartz, M. (2021). Strategies to Improve School Meal Consumption: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 13(10), 3520. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103520.
7. Rowling, L., & Jeffreys, V. (2000). Challenges in the development and monitoring of Health Promoting Schools. Health Education, 100(3), 117-123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09654280010320929.
8. Story, M., Nanney, M., & Schwartz, M. (2009). Schools and Obesity Prevention: Creating School Environments and Policies to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. The Milbank Quarterly, 87(1), 71-100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2009.00548.x.
9. Kohl, H., Craig, C., Lambert, E., Inoue, S., Alkandari, J., Leetongin, G., & Kahlmeier, S. (2012). The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health. The Lancet, 380(9838), 294-305. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60898-8.
10. Taylor, R., Farmer, V., Cameron, S., Meredith-Jones, K., Williams, S., & Mann, J. (2011). School playgrounds and physical activity policies as predictors of school and home time activity. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-8-38.
11. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2020). On complete general secondary education (Law No. 463-IX, January 16). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/463-20#Text [in Ukrainian].
12. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2021). On approval of the norms and the Procedure for organizing catering in educational institutions and children’s health and recreation facilities (Decree No. 305, March 24). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/305-2021-%D0%BF#Text [in Ukrainian].
13. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2020). On approval of the Sanitary Regulations for institutions of general secondary education (Order No. 2205, September 25). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z1111-20#Text [in Ukrainian].
14. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2020). On approval of the Hygienic Requirements for the Production and Circulation of Food Products at Facilities Located in Institutions of General Secondary Education (Order No. 2532, December 3). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z1275-20#Text [in Ukrainian].
15. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2023). On approval of the recommended Sample Four-Week Seasonal Menu, recommended for organizing one-time meals for children aged 6 to 18 in educational institutions and other organized children’s groups for the autumn period (Order No. 243, February 8). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/rada/show/v0243282-23#Text [in Ukrainian].
16. Znaimo. (n. d.). Retrieved from https://znaimo.gov.ua/ [in Ukrainian].
17. Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. (n. d.). Meals in general secondary education institutions. Retrieved from https://lookerstudio.google.com/u/0/reporting/6c10cd85-b49c-4586-b6a0-d91e28656ff0/page/p_k4pg7czzjd [in Ukrainian].